The Yoga: psychotherapy and spirituality

Raised by Swami Satyananda approaching people to yoga well out of physical necessity, or by some kind of neurosis, a feeling of emptiness that needs solving. This neurosis, even being a lock for the awakening of the consciousness own, just being also the stimulus that leads to many to a life spiritual, a made positive that "t"e help to do something that is worthwhile in life and which replace the complacency and laziness"(1). Writes Diego Borrego.

The idea of this article is aim of way brief the character especially psychotherapeutic that the yoga us offers when started to do an approach more deep to his practice, or what is it same, when started to do an approach from a point of view more spiritual. We are aware that there is a strong belief that relates the spiritual with religion and that there are people to whom this inconvenient, but it is also true that you can go to the spiritual without having any religious belief, if we choose it.

In this regard I would like to go by drawing a parallel between one of the questions posed by the transpersonal psychology and what in the same sense makes the yoga to the present is not only as a working physical. Transpersonal psychology is the branch of psychology that studies the most important aspects of the person, those issues which go beyond the purely personal/individual. Would come to be the psychology that is occupied of the experience human in it spiritual, in the search of a truth more beyond of it tangible. Certainly that point presents many elements in common with approach of the yoga as a form of life, for that search for elements that transcend to what material and scientifically provable, issues more difficult of name; which in any case would call spiritual or Transpersonal.

Act on the causes

Is known that since the body is can perform a work very deep to Undo both physical and psychological, shields and this is one of the objectives of the practice physical of yoga as it live in West. Controlling respiration, acting on the vagus nerve, improve elasticity, are examples of highly therapeutic actions that help us find us better and in many cases they serve as a wonderful therapy for a large number of nervous problems, but that in any case he would act on the symptomatology. Attend two days per week a room yoga is very important and we know of their results; but with that work not changed just the deepest structures of our attitudes, thoughts and beliefs. Is the work spiritual / transpersonal that us is going to allow access to important changes, and as psychotherapeutic element, you will deal directly on basic aspects of our day to day and the management that we do. If physical we act on symptoms, from the spiritual, from the conduct, we will act on the causes.

In that sense the transpersonal psychology poses that human beings have a need for continued growth in two directions: towards the horizontal, the relationship with the environment; and vertical, toward the spiritual. The vital need for human beings is to prepare to move towards this verticality, towards the spirituality

Currently there is a certain consensus scientific in the explanation of that are equipped with of some structures brain that us make, as exception in the United animal, capable not only of live spirituality but, and it more important, of be needy of she from a point of view biological of survival. This may be due to Dios placed this structure to create the man and the woman either our biological evolution has made our brains to develop this capacity. In any case the two arguments place this quest for spirituality as element indispensable, and highly psychotherapeutic.

The "Psychology" of Patanjali

Precisely of these two growth posed by the psychology transpersonal already spoke Patanjali in his Yoga sutra. Patanjali, to part of others many things, was a shrewd psychologist capable of offering us a Treaty of psychology which is explains where they come all those neuroses that want to get rid, and it gives us the tools to do so. Through the work of Patanjali we can review all aspects that have to do with the relationship we establish with the world, and especially the relationship that I intend to me and myself. The observation of this relationship is that horizontal growth posed by the transpersonal. The approach of the Yoga sutra passes through eight steps or rungs

the rules of self-regulation or restriction (yamas),

compliance or autoentrenamiento (niyamas) practices,

postures (asana),

expansion of breathing prana (pranayama),

retraction of the senses (pratyahara),

concentration (dharana),

meditation (dhyana),

and concentration perfect (samadhi).

The first two would have to do with horizontal growth and the remaining six with vertical or search of samadhi. If us occupies us look in the two first: the rules of self-regulation or restriction (yamas) and the practices of autoentrenamiento (niyamas). From a therapeutic point of view, having to observe these elements will cause my life to change substantially. Issues as it not violence, the not accumulate things unnecessary, not steal, acceptance of that that us happens, not lie, etc, are elements that work directly toward a way of life more simple and that allow that connect with our essence as individuals and as part of an all more broad and transcendent. As soon as we move to live that life easier, with less weight, less possessions that watch, fewer things that control, began to notice the changes and we are already establishing that connection with the transpersonal.

But as you can guess, this philosophy of life is not easy to apply. For the men and Western women – in some ways for men and women in general — is extremely complicated to get away from all that with what has grown, everything that has given as valid and undisputed. This new philosophy, this new way of face it life proposes break with a great number of things that are have introjected, with a quantity huge of what is understands as principles very standard and that in its day is metabolized as "it correct". You have a good House, a good car, a future secured, another House perhaps a job consistent with our ego, to enjoy a good - especially not too healthy - food, exercise - logically - a very strong force in the other direction.

Growth needed

According to Swami Satyananda:"Although the knowledge medical advances constantly, the bases of what know for keep it health not have changed in the last years." Almost everyone knows that no smoking and what to eat lots of fruits, vegetables and grains, exercising regularly and not let stress affect us too. The hard part is not knowing what to do, but do it... Thousands of years ago, the Yogis realized - and scientists are doing now – that change dysfunctional habits is largely a matter of the mind."

There is where begins the work precisely in adjust all those elements, in placing the emphasis on more spiritual aspects, each person according to what will living and discover while you are building your way. The application of yamas and niyamas us going to offer the opportunity of change something, have from where start to dismantling and then to build always from the work and the rigour. The psychology transpersonal in that same sense speaks of the difficulty of application of those changes, to which calls "transpersonal evolution" in the following sense:

".. .the person undertakes a task of transpersonal development which includes willingness to transform what's up to his time, to your relationships, your pocketbook, its relationship with the environment, etc." "To our trial, this is it only via so the development transpersonal not is convert in an insane refuge defensive that avoid the confrontation with the joint of the reality and that restrict, rather than expand, the health mental of the subject" (2)

In conclusion, human is biologically designed to go in search of something that is beyond their comprehension. Life is simply not sufficient and that search of it spiritual / transpersonal is presented as essential to can opt to a life healthy. What is thwart it will involve emotional blockages that become physicists and vice versa and they will end up affecting our health both physically and emotionally.

It therapeutic resides in take that option of growth from more beyond of it visible and of it confirmable and begin to work in feel me one more with the other and look towards up to observe what could have, and the yoga is certainly a road.

Diego Borrego Caixal. By the Aepy yoga teacher. Formed in yin yoga. Degree in history from the University of Barcelona. Diploma in industrial relations from the University of Barcelona. Master in Direccdion of human resources by EAE. Master practitioner in programming Neurolinguistics. Formed in therapy Gestalt.